Park City School District recognized for reducing its carbon footprint

Rocky Mountain Power recognized Park City School District with a certificate for cutting back on energy use and reducing waste.Courtesy of Park City School District

Little changes have gone a long way for the Park City School District.

Rocky Mountain Power recently recognized the district for its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Blue Sky Renewable Energy, a program within Rocky Mountain Power, awarded a certificate to the district for reducing its energy consumption.

Last year, the district reduced its carbon footprint by 860,170 pounds of carbon dioxide and it supported 951,600 kilowatt hours of renewable energy.

Todd Hansen, director of buildings and grounds for the district, said the district has made changes over the last 10 years to cut back on energy use. About three years ago, the district installed LED lights for its outdoor and indoor lights. The district also made changes to its fleet of vehicles in order to reduce energy waste. It recently purchased two propane buses to help with energy consumption, too.

The schools also have recycling centers at all of the schools, he said.

“All those things combined, they help with our power savings,” Hansen said. “We’ve been working toward this for quite a while.”

He said the district has focused on cutting energy because of the district’s and the city’s commitment to sustainability. Plus, he added, it helps the district save money.

He said the district saved about $1 million in three years because it changed its water system to reduce waste a few years ago.

The district did not make any major changes to improve sustainability during the current school year. Hansen said the district has instead focused on safety and security.

But, he said the district will likely install more LED lights in the next few years and consider more ways to cut back on its energy use. If the district does decide to build a new school after it determines a new master plan, Hansen said the district would likely install solar panels to reduce its carbon footprint.